Baslinux mailing list

["Samual Acorn" <sam.acorn AT gmail.com>]

On 14/12/06, sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org> wrote:
> >> With a small battery it would let you run a small computer while on a
> >> bike trip if you wanted the extra weight (which I don't).  Maybe you could
> >> hook up a laptop computer to an electric bike battery that can be
> >> recharged by pedaling?  Can you run linux on a newer PDA?
> >
> > there is a linux for pocket PCs... but usually windows CE works fine
> > and is better for those devices... considering a lot of new ones have
> > wifi and bluetooth (driver reasons)...
>
> Our old Palm OS PDAs work with linux for file transfer and updates.  I was
> wondering if the newer ones would actually let you run linux and maybe go
> online with it.

if you have a serial or other type of interface to the outside world
you should be able to connect to the net no problem... lack of a
keyboard might be a bit troublesome but there are add-on keyboards for
palm devices (if needed)

> >
> > bike batteries/headlight generators are usually 6volts and around 5
> > watts at the absolute most... not possible to run a laptop off of
> > this... thats not to say you couldnt get a 13.8 volt generator (13.8
> > needed to charge the 12v battery) but unless you feel like you can
> > race in the tour de france i doubt it would be practical...
>
> I was talking about electric powered bikes, not lights.  I know some of
> them (the more expensive ones) let you recharge the battery while going
> downhill or I think even while pedalling.  They have a motor and a heavy
> battery and whatever is used for charging the battery.

thats an interesting idea.. be carefull tapping into the circuit
tho... (the lithium batteries on those bikes might give you an amazing
amount of uptime on a laptop)

> >>
> >> wireless?
> >
> > wireless RS232 (for the really old 'tops) is inpractical since those
> > devices are geared tword industrial use (the specs are nice... the
> > price tag is not) and reqire external power...
> >
> > as far as WiFi goes i never bothered with it since i dont have a
> > laptop with a good battery and i honestly dont really trust it (look
> > up a program called "AirSnort" to see what i mean)
>
> I ran across that as a way to find WEP keys.

would be nice if there was a "user mode" hardware-based encryption
option... skipjack would be amusing to use simply because of its
age... id love to see the look on the wardrivers faces...

> > i have used someone elses wifi/laptop before (the laptop was brand
> > new) but even then the 'wireless' was lost because i had to hunt down
> > a power outlet to recharge the thing roughly every 1 to 2hrs ... (wifi
> > -eats- batteries)... 1 to 2 hrs seems like a lot of time but when
> > surfing the web/playing games time goes pretty fast..
>
> It sends and receives radio signals.  Uses less batteries than a tape
> player.  I can check my email in less than 2 hours.  But am unlikely to
> even drag around a laptop computer on a bike trip.  Just curious.
>
> Sindi


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